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Kicking the Habit: Tools that Help Still smoking when you'd rather quit? Are you ready to take that big step toward better health and — let’s face it — less hassle and cost? Quitting smoking is hard work, especially if you’re really hooked. Some smokers are more hooked than others on the nicotine in cigarettes.
The Patch How it helps: The patch is a “transdermal” device, which means you wear it on your skin and it releases the drug through your pores. The patch provides nicotine at a slow, steady rate. You won’t get the burst of nicotine you get with a cigarette, but your body will still have the drug it craves, so your withdrawal symptoms will be weaker than if you went “cold turkey.” At the same time, you will break your habit of smoking. After using the patch for several weeks (six or more, depending on the brand and program you choose to use), you switch to a lower-nicotine patch. After two or three steps down in nicotine, you discontinue use altogether. Nicotine replacement therapies like the patch usually work best in conjunction with a counseling program or behavior modification program. You may want to talk to your doctor about programs near you. Also, read the insert that comes with the patch for written companion programs from the manufacturers. You can also use the patch in conjunction with bupropion, a drug that tends to reduce nicotine craving. Patch considerations:
How it helps: Nicotine gum (such as Nicorette) releases nicotine into your system a little more quickly than the patch, but not as quickly as a cigarette. You use the gum for about three to six months, tapering off on the amount you use at the end of that time. Finally, you are both cigarette-free and nicotine-free. Some people like the control the gum offers. You can decide when you need more nicotine and when you may not need nicotine at all. Like the patch, nicotine gum usually works best alongside a counseling or behavior modification program. You may want to talk to your doctor about programs near you. (You can use nicotine gum in conjunction with bupropion). Potential pitfalls:
How they help: When you use a nicotine inhaler, you breathe through a mouthpiece attached to a plastic cartridge. Although the product is called an "inhaler," it does not deliver nicotine to the lungs the way a cigarette does. Most of the nicotine stops at the mouth and throat, where it is absorbed through the mucous membranes. It is therefore introduced to the bloodstream slowly, as are the other nicotine-replacement products above. When you use a nicotine nasal spray, you breathe the nicotine through your nose from a pump bottle the drug is absorbed through your nasal lining into your bloodstream. Nicotine inhalers and sprays, such as the brand “Nicotrol,” are available only with a prescription. Your health plan covers them for three months per year.Again, you may want to use this product in conjunction with counseling or behavior modification. The downside of inhalers and sprays:
How it helps: Bupropion (which goes by the trade name Zyban) can reduce symptoms of withdrawal from nicotine, such as irritability and dizziness. It also seems to reduce the urge to smoke. Bupropion does not have any nicotine in it. It is also marketed under the name Wellbutrin as an antidepressant. Bupropion or Zyban can be used with nicotine replacement devices, like the patch or nicotine gum. This combination tends to increase the success rate. Since Zyban is a prescription drug, your health plan will provide coverage. Our health policy states that we will cover up to a three-month supply of the prescription drug per year. The cons of Zyban: Bupropion or Zyban’s side effects vary widely from person to person. Because the drug’s effect is on the nervous system, its side effects, like drowsiness and dizziness, also affect the nervous system. People who use other drugs that affect the nervous system or who have conditions of the nervous system may experience more of these effects. Other Methods There are many other ways to make quitting a nicotine habit easier. You may, for example, cut down gradually on the number of cigarettes you smoke. You may also cut down on the nicotine you get from each one by changing to lower and lower brands. (You can find out how much nicotine is in each brand of cigarettes by consulting sources like the Federal Trade Commission’s "Tar, Nicotine, and Carbon Monoxide of the Smoke of 568 Varieties of Domestic Cigarettes.") Do it! Do whatever you have to do to keep up your resolve. There are many sources out there to help you. Call your doctor, cruise the web, enroll in a support group, buy a book, or quit with a friend. No matter how you decide to quit smoking, remind yourself that you’re doing the right thing. Like the many people who have quit before you, you’ll never stop thanking yourself for the willpower you show right now. Smoking cessation aids covered by your health plan
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